New commission may ban English water companies from making a profit

Defra body, created to overhaul system amid public fury, may force firms to be run for public good rather than shareholder returns

• New water regulator must create environmental enforcer that is feared

Water companies in England could be banned from making a profit under plans for a complete overhaul of the system.

The idea is one of the options being considered by a new commission set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) amid public fury over the way firms have prioritised profit over the environment.